President Lennart Meri received the outgoing Ambassador of Turkey, HE Erkan Gezer, at Kadriorg today. The principal topic of the meeting was the situation in the Middle East, above all the Iraq issue. The Turkish Ambassador told President Meri that Turkey was against military interference. In such a case Turkey would lose out in several respects: one of the oil-pipes would be closed down; internal migration would lead to instability; and a military solution would have a negative effect on Turkish trade, the Ambassador pointed out.

Asked by the Estonian President if it was conceivable to depose President Saddam Hussein by an internal effort in Iraq, the Turkish diplomat said it was in essence impossible. He went on to explain that in Iraq one would have to face the Iraqis’ national pride, and the inspection of presidential palaces would bruise their pride, but, he added, the US and allies’ attitude also had to be borne in mind.

Russia's role in the Middle East also came up at the meeting. Russia is likely to gain there if it gets a chance to increase its presence. According to Ambassador Gezer, it is necessary to dispossess Iraq of mass annihilation weapons, but the same should be done in Iran. However, the components of weapons are supplied there by Russia, who currently endeavours to reinforce its position in the Middle East.

Internal problems of Turkey were also discussed, as well as the rising tensions between Turkey and Armenia over the border issues stemming from the Turkish-Russian border agreement signed in 1920 that Armenia refuses to recognize. Notes were compared on developments in Georgia and Highland Karabakh.

Both the Estonian President and the Turkish Ambassador regarded the state visit to Estonia of President Sņleyman Demirel of Turkey last summer as the top accomplishment in the cooperation of the foreign ministries of Estonia and Turkey.


Information Service of the President's Office
Kadriorg, 10 February 1998

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